International Relations & Diplomacy
Dialogue today, stability tomorrow
The Working Group International Relations & Diplomacy, focusing on diplomacy and global governance, examines bilateral and multilateral relations, geopolitical shifts, and the role of international organisations. It analyses diplomatic strategies, negotiation frameworks, and the influence of soft power. Monthly briefings present academic research on strengthening diplomatic engagement, enhancing global stability, and addressing emerging foreign policy challenges.
Limited Statehood
Limited Statehood: How Armed Groups Fill Governance Gaps in Sub-Saharan Africa When state authority is weak or absent, armed groups may seize the opportunity…
Plaid Cymru, SNP, and the Cracking Union
Thematic Working Group Briefs – 2026 Plaid Cymru, SNP, and the cracking union In a United Kingdom where the far-right ReformUK dangerously takes the stage,…
Fault Lines Eastward
Fault Lines Eastward Shifting Sino-Russian Dynamics in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Before and After the Iran War The war in Iran, catalysed by coordinated…
Beyond the Pitch
When FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup to a joint bid from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the decision was widely celebrated as a testament to North…
Somali State Building and Sub-State Actors
Somali State Building and Sub-State Actors: The Role and Potential of Jubaland and Puntland The world is changed. The Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia…
Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords
HeadlineSaudi Arabia and Israel: A Complicated Route Toward Normalisation AuthorsJoseph Ayinla & Marcel Lesik Working GroupMENA Overall SummarySaudi Arabia’s…
Democratic backsliding in Latin America
Democratic backsliding in Latin America: erosion from within and the case of Argentina In modern politics, Latin America has often served as a perfect…
India Between Two Tables
EPIS THINK TANK | INDO-PACIFIC Analytical Brief | June 2026 India Between Two Tables: Multi-Alignment Strategy and the Future of Indo-Pacific Order How does…
The ‘Emergency Government’: Kast’s First 100 Days
Kast’s ‘Emergency Government’: Chile’s First 100 Days Under the ‘New Right’ The path that carried José Antonio Kast Rist to La Moneda was neither smooth…
Dependency Theory
Dependency Theory: Why Some Countries Remain Economically Dependent Introduction Does South America really benefit from foreign investment? As global demand…
Terrorism Spillover in the Sahel
Terrorism spillover is driven by cross-border mobility, recruitment, and local grievances. Ghana demonstrates how resilient institutions and community trust…
Are Embassies Still Spy Bases?
This paper examines the structural relationship between diplomacy and espionage, arguing that intelligence gathering has always been embedded within diplomatic…
United States and China Strategic Competition
Main Question: Does China’s rise threaten North American security and economic interests? Argument: Military modernization, supply chain competition, and…
One partnership – Three trajectories?
Main question: Why were the protests in Moldova (2009) and Ukraine (2014) successful, while they were suppressed in Belarus (2020)?
Canada and the EU After the EPC Summit
How does Canada’s participation in the 2026 EPC summit reflect the evolving Canada-EU relationship? Driven by U.S. unpredictability under Trump, Canada is…
South Africa – Xenophobia or Inequality?
The main question is, what is the nature of the recurring anti-immigration violence in post-apartheid South Africa, and what are its systemic causes and…
Public Alignment & Closed-Door Diplomacy:
Main question: How does China balance its relations with Russia and the US amid rising global tensions in spring 2026? Argument: Beijing applies a dual-track…
Canada’s Strategic Foresight for 2025–2035
Main question: How can Canada ensure economic survival and sovereignty while caught between an unpredictable, transactional U.S. and a coercive China Argument:…
Bridging the Gap
1. The interview explores why transatlantic security often overlooks local and state leaders. 2. Joshua Burgin argues that strong personal networks between…
EU Enlargement Revisited
Main question: How can the EU balance strategic geopolitical expansion with strict merit-based compliance to ensure sustainable integration? Argument: The EU…
